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THE INDIAN CHIEF 
SHABBONA 



LUTHER A. HATCH 

Late Superintendent of Schools, 

DeKalb, Illinois. 



1915 
Published by Mrs. L. A. Hatch, DeKalb, Illinois. 



t- 



Copyrighted by 

MRS, L. A. HATCH 

19 15 







2)CI.A411399 



PRINTED IN THE MANUAL ARTS PRINT SHOP 
NORTHERN ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL SCHOOL 



SEP -9 1915 
*1<^ /. 




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THE INDIAN CHIEF 
SHABBONA 



THE Indians have gone from Illinois, but 
there are many people living today who 
remember having seen the last of this dus- 
ky race as it disappeared. With them have 
gone, never to return, many of the primitive 
conditions that once existed. It is with 
difficulty that the present generation 
reconstructs in image form and scenes and 
conditions that met those who first came 
to this land as explorers or founders of 
homes. Fortunately we have with us a 
few of the early pioneers from whose lips we 
may gather a few of the fragments of our 
early history. These should be collected and 
retained as a part of our national heritage 
It will give us strength to look back upon 
those early days and to recount the strug- 
gles through which we have come. 

The conflicts which took place between 



£ THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

the red man and the early white settlers 
would make a long story were all told. 
Were we to write this story the name of 
Shabbona would appear in many places. 
Were you to read it you would come to 
love the man and to respect him for the 
true manhood that he displayed on so many 
occasions. Were you to go to the early 
settlers who knew Shabbona you would 
find them all agreed as to the nobility 
of his character. He was known by them 
all as "The Friend of the White Man." The 
writer will tell the story as he gathered it 
from those who knew him, and from other 
sources that will be indicated at the close 
of this article. 

SHABBONA GROVE-HOME OF CHIEF 

In the southern part of DeKalb County 
in Illinois is found a small village that has 
been named after Shabbona. Not far from 
this village is to be found a grove known as 
Shabbona Grove. It was at this grove that 
Shabbona and his people made their home 
for many years. Those who live at the grove 
take pleasure in pointing out the spot where 
he pitched his wigwam. It was a beautiful 
place in those early days nestled on the 
banks of a little stream. It was a small 
clearing in the wood well protected from 
the storms that raged during the winter. 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 3 

In the early years of his stay at this grove 
it was the home of his whole tribe, which 
by the way never numbered more than one 
hundred thirty souls. After the govern- 
ment moved the Indians from Illinois, 
Shabbona and his family lived here for a 
number of years. A hollow in the ground 
marks the place where he had a shallow 
well from which he obtained water. A few 
mounds mark the resting place of a number 
of his family. 

You are told that a house was built for 
the old chief by the white settlers who 
thought they would show their appreciatiorif 
for him in this way. This house was made 
of logs. He never lived in it, so some 
who knew him say, but instead used it as a 
shelter for his ponies and a storehouse for 
his provisions. ..At times some of the 
younger Indians of the tribe used this cabin 
as a place of shelter but old Shabbona and 
Coconoko, his wife, always preferred to live 
in the tent even during the coldest weather 
in winter. As he visited his white friends 
it v/as almost impossible to get him to sleep 
over night in a house. He preferred to roll 
up in his blanket and sleep out of doors. 
By his association "with the whites he ac- 
quired much from them but there were 
many Indian traits and customs that he 
retained as long as he lived. • 



4 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

At one time the grove at which he made 
his home was one of the finest in the state of 
IlUnois. It covered an area of 1,500 acres. 
In it were found large white, bur, and red 
oak. No better black walnut trees were to 
be found anywhere than were found here. 
Outside of this grove extended great tracts 
of prairie land noted for their fertility. 
Surrounded by this, Shabbona, the Indian 
chief, lived and ruled his little kingdom. 
Plenty surrounded him on all sides. He and 
his people visited other Indian settlements, 
of which there were many in northern Illi- 
nois. Other chiefs and their people visited 
him and lived off his substance. His word 
had much weight in the councils with other 
chiefs. He was one of the great chiefs 
among the chiefs. 

WHO WAS SHABBONA? 

But you ask, Who was this Shabbona? 
He was a member of the Ottawa tribe of 
Indians, born as the best authorities think, 
in Ohio somewhere on the Maumee River. 
He was the grand nephew of the great 
Indian chief, Pontiac. He lived at the time of 
Tecumseh and the Prophet. He knew them 
both and took several long journeys with the 
former. For a time he was a friend of Black- 
hawk. He knew Keokuk, Big Foot, Sauganash, 
Black Partridge, Snachwine, Wabansee, and 



5 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

Red Jacket. He probably knew Big Thun- 
der. Spotka, the Pottawattomie chief, 
appreciated his worth, and as an indication 
of his appreciation gave his daughter in 
marriage. 

The name of this chief was not always 
spelled by writers in the same way. The 
iOilowing spellings are found: Shabbona, 
Chamblee, Shaubene, Shabone, Shaubenay 
aad Shabehaey. Shabbona seems to be the 
spelling preferred. The old chief liked to 
have his name pronounced as if there were 
but two syllables to it, and to pronounce it 
as if it were spelled Shab ney, with the ac- 
cent on the first syllable. 

In appearance he was a very striking 
character. He would be singled out from 
among a body of Indians because of the 
native dignity of the man. He was five feet, 
nine inches in height, broad shouldered, 
with a large head supported by a heavy neck. 
His hands, f<jr a man of his size, were small. 
His body was long so that when he rode on 
horseback he appeared larger than when on 
foot. He was a well built man. When a 
young man he excelled in all kinds of ath- 
letic exercises. As a boy he was the picture 
of health. He was always large for his age. 
When a young rnan he weighed two hun- 
dred pounds and before his death he weighed 
two hundred forty pounds. As has been 



6_ THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

intimated he was very inuscular and capa- 
ble of great endurance. Until his last illness, 
which occurred in his eighty-fourth year, he 
did not know what it was to be sick. One in 
speaking of him says, "He was as strong as a 
buffalo, as swift of foot as a deer and as 
gentle as a woman." There are those who 
think that Shabbona, with his power to un- 
derstand men, his soundness of judgement 
in dealing with matters that pertained to his 
race, his coolness in times of danger, his 
loyalty to principles, might have become 
one of the great men of the world had he 
had opportunities of education. He pos- 
sessed those characteristics that made him 
a leader. People loved him, they believed 
in him, they acted upon his suggestions. 

HIS FIRST VISIT TO ILLINOIS AND 
HIS MARRIAGE 

In the autumn, it was the custom of the 
Indians to go on extended hunts in order that 
food might be secured and prepared for the 
winter. At this time of the year game was 
in good condition and the fur of fur-bearing 
animals was at its best. Sometimes these 
hunts took the hunters a long distance from 
their homes. The Indians of certain tribes 
came to feel that they owned certain hunt- 
ing grounds and looked upon others who 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SH ABB ON A 7 

might hunt upon these grounds as hostile 
to their interests. 

In the autumn of 1800, a party of Ot- 
tawa hunters from the country around Lake 
Erie went on a hunting expedition into what 
is now known as lUinois. This hunt led 
them around the lower end of Lake Michigan 
to the present site of Chicago. Here they 
felt at home as they were among their 
friends, the Pottawattomies. Among those 
who went on this hunt was a young man 
known as Shabbona— the Shabbona about 
whom this article tells. This was his first 
visit to Illinois. V/-hen the hunt was over the 
Indians returned to their homes in the 
Ohio country. Shabbona, however, did not 
return, but spent the winter at the home of 
Spotka, the chief of the Pottawattomies at 
Chicago. As has been stated his stay with 
this chief resulted in Shabbona's receiving 
Spotka's daughter in marriage. Shabbona 
was already a chief among the Ottawas and 
this marriage to the daughter of a Pottawat- 
tamie chief made him a Pottawattomie, 
and later he became a Pottawattomie chief. 

By his sterling qualities he won the 
respect of his new brothers and as has been 
indicated became a chief among them. It 
is said that at first they were inclined to 
feel somewhat jealous of Shabbona and as a 



8 THE INDIA IV CHIEF SNA B BONA 

result said some things of him that were not 
altogether good. Some of these remarks 
came to the ears of Shabbona. Ir maciehim 
feel sad to hear these things for he had tried 
his best to please those with whom he lived. 
After thinking matters over for a time he 
decided that he could stand it no longer, so 
one morning he arose and announced to his 
squaw, Coconoko, that he was going to go 
back to his people to live among them. 
Bidding Coconoko good-bye he mounted his 
pony and rode away to the eastward. He 
rode and thought and the farther he got 
away from his squaw the more he thought. 
Before night overtook him he turned his 
pony about and returned to Coconoko to live 
with her during the remainder of his life 
which closed fifty-nine years after this. 
While he was gone Coconoko talked to her 
people about the injustice that had been 
done Shabbona. After this there was never 
any more trouble along this line for they 
soon came to appreciate his worth. 

It was not long after this that Shab- 
bona selected Shabbona Grove as his home. 

From 1800 to 1807 Shabbona trav- 
eled much among the Indians along the Illi- 
nois, Fox, and Rock Rivers. At times he 
went farther to the south, also up the 
Mississippi, and into Wisconsin. The miss- 
ionaries among the Indians often secured 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 9 

him to guide them as they went from tribe 
to tribe. In this way he became very well 
acquainted with the leading chiefs and with 
the country in which they lived. It is said 
that he could mark out a trail or river 
course in the sand, indicating all of the land- 
marks, so that it was easy for a stranger not 
acquainted with the country to find his 
way. This knowledge of the country and 
acquaintance with the chiefs was a good pre- 
paration for the later life that Shabbona led. 

SHABBONA MEETS TECUMSEH 

In the year 1807, Shabbona had the 
good fortune, if looked at in one way, and 
bad fortune if looked at in another light, 
to become acquainted with Tecumseh— 
Flying Panther — the chief of the Shawnee 
Indians, who was a man of many high qual- 
ities, impressive manners, and wonderful 
natural eloquence. Tecumseh was a little 
older than Shabbona but they were both 
comparatively young men at this time, 
neither being over thirty-five years of age. 
The two chiefs had many councils together. 
Tecumseh saw the evil influence of whisky 
among his people so he prohibited its use. 
This and ocher things he did left their im- 
press upon Shabbona for good, although in 
later years he imbibed somewhat. 



10 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

In the year 1810, General Harrison met 
Tecumsehon the Wabash in council. After 
this council Tecumseh went to Shabbona's 
village and persuaded Shabbona to go with 
him to see the Indians of northern Illinois 
and Wisconsin to get them to join in concert- 
. ed action in driving back the whites who 
were pushing their settlements forward into 
their hunting ground. These two chiefs went 
from village to village along the Illinois and 
Fox Rivers. Then they went to the Winne- 
bago and Menominee Indians to the north. 
Both of these tribes fought against the 
Americans during the War of 1 8 1 2. Tecum- 
seh and Shabbona then moved to the south 
along the Mississippi, visiting the Sauks and 
Foxes, meeting Black Hawk and Wapello 
the leading chiefs. At Rock Island the two 
chiefs parted, Tecumseh going farther to the 
south along the Mississippi and Shabbona 
returning to his home in DeKalb County. 
In the summer of 1811 Tecumseh and 
Shabbona met General Harrison again at 
Vincennes in a second council. After a 
wordy conference Tecumseh withdrew and 
with Shabbona and two Shawnee chiefs set 
out for the south to visit the Creeks, Cher- 
okees, Choctaws and Seminoles. While 
absent his followers were defeated on the 
seventh of November, 1 8 1 1, in the battle of 
Tippecanoe by General Harrison. 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBOSA 



MASSACRE AT FORT DEARBORN 
After the visit to the south Shabbona 
returned again to the grove. It was while 
here that he heard of the declaration of 
war with England. There was a plan on 
foot to attack and capture if possible, Fort 
Dearborn before news could reach that 
place. Runners came to Shabbona telling 
him that the attack was to be made and 
that the Pottawattomies were alltotak^ 
part in the war. He decided that he would 
not go to the attack on Fort Dearborn as he 
had many friends there among the whites. 
Seeing the other Indians going he mounted 
his pony and went also. Snachwine had 
planned and carried out the attack. When 
Shabbona arrived he was shocked to see 
what had been done. Scattered along the 
beach of the lake lay the forty-two (some 
say fifty-two) bodies of the victims of the 
massacre, scalped and mutilated, women, 
children and soldiers alike. The body of 
Captain Wells lay in one place, his head in 
another while his arms and legs were scat- 
tered over the prairie. The remains of 
Captain Wells were gathered up by Black 
Partridge and buried near where they were 
found, while the bodies of the other victims 
were left where they fell until the rebuild- 
ing of Fort Dearborn in 1816— four years 



12 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

later. Then their scattered hones that had 
been bleaching in the sun were gathered up 
and buried by Captain Bradley. 

The prisoners were placed in Kinzie's 
house where Black Partridge and Shanbona 
tried to protect them with their braves. 
Parties of Shawnee Indians arrived from the 
Wabash. These were thirsting for blood. 
They expected to arrive in time to take 
part in the attack. They rushed by Black 
Partridge and Shabbona to get at the pris- 
oners and had not Saguanash arrived just as 
he did their lives would have been taken. 
They would have shared the fate of the oth- 
ers. As it was they were saved and we feel 
grateful for the share that Shabbona had in 
the saving of their lives. They were made 
prisoners. Part of them were taken to St. 
Joseph and to Canada. Others were scat- 
tered among the different tribes of Potta- 
wattomies but in time they were sent to 
Detroit and ransomed. 

TECUMSEH'S DEATH AND 
SHABBONA'S VOW 

After the massacre of Fort Dearborn 
Shabbona returned to his grove with his 
mind made up to take no further part in 
the War. In the fall of 1812 emissaries 
from Tecumseh reached Shabbona's village 
bearing presents and the wampum belt ask- 



T I.E INDIAN CHIEF S'JABBONA 13 

ing hini and his braves to join with hini in 
the v/ar. Shabbona was deceived intc^ be- 
lieving that the Pottawattomies and. many 
other tribes in Ilhncns were going to tf^ketip:) 
the hatchet and join the English in their 
war against the Americans. So Shabbona 
gave up the winter nuat he had planned to 
take and with twenty-two of his warriors 
laft tor the s at of the war. On his way to 
theWabaeh where the Shawnees dwelt he 
fell in with Black Hawk and the Indians 
i/hder his command. The Hawk and Shab- 
bona had been friends for many years and 
had sat together ipany times in council, n 
this war Shabbona stood next in command 
to Tecumssh. At Fort Maigs and Fort Ste- 
phenson the Indians were badly whipped 
by the Americans. This discoureged Black 
Hawk and his warriors so he, with them, 
returned to his home on the Mississippi. 
Shabbona, however, remained with Tecum- 
seh and pushed onward, through Indiana 
and Ohio into Canada. In September, 1813, 
the battle of the Thames was fought and at 
this battle Shabbona saw his friend Te- 
cumseh killed by Col. Richard M. Johnson. 
Shabbona being second in command, the 
leadership fell upon him. The battle raged 
with fury and there seemed to be no chance 
for the Indians so he ordered his braves to 
retreat, which they did. Shabbona never 



14 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBOAA 

expected to escape from the conflict alive. 
It is said that he prayed to the Great Spirit 
that if his Hfe was saved he would never 
take up arms again against the whites. It 
was saved and from this time till his death 
he kept his vow. For this stand he lost 
prestige among the Indians. In derision they 
called him, "Friend of the White Man." 

The people of northern Illinois remem- 
ber Shabbona not for the part that he took 
in the war of 1812 but for what he did after 
the war. Until 1849 the grove in DeKalb 
County was his home. True he came and 
went but this was where he lived with his 
family and where those of his family who 
had died were buried. The white settlers 
did not come to Illinois in very large num- 
bers, until after the Indians were moved 
west of the Mississippi, after the Black Hawk 
War. When Chicago was laid out as a town 
in 1830 there were twelve families besides 
the garrison. Three years later the popula- 
tion had increased to 550. After the War 
of 1 8 1 2 Shabbona was always ready to pro- 
tect the settlers in and about Chicago. 

In the fall of 1823 Fort Dearborn was 
vacated and troops did not occupy it again 
until the fall of 1828. During this time the 
citizens of Chicago were unprotected except 
by the friendly Indians. All went well 
until the Winnebagoes took up the hatchet 



THE INDIAN CHIEF S'iABBONA 15 

against the whites in 1827. At the time 
Shabbona went to almost every village of 
the Pottawattomies and persuaded them to 
remain at home, and not take part in the 
war. He told the citizens of Chicago that he 
would station his braves there and defend 
them if they wished him to do so. 

VISITS BIG FOOT AND SAVES CHICAGO 

The people of Chicago requested Shab- 
bona and Saguanash to visit the village on 
Big Foot Lake [Lake Geneva], and try to 
persuade Big Foot to not go to war with the 
whites. The two rode to the village on horse 
back. Saguanash did not enter the village 
but took a position so that he could see 
Shabbona as he met Big Foot and his 
braves. The meeting was not of a friend- 
ly nature. Shabbona was accused of being 
a friend of the whites and an enemy of the 
Indians. Shabbona tried to convince Big 
Foot that the war with the whites meant 
the destruction of the Indians. The war- 
riors collected around the chiefs as they 
carried on their conversation. Big Foot be- 
came enraged and took out his tomahawk 
and was about to kill Shabbona but was 
prevented from doijig so by the warriors 
who were standing about. The warriors 
took away Shabbona's rifle, tomahawk, 
knife and blanket and bound him with 



16 THE INDIAN CHIEF S^IABBONA 

buckstring thongs, afcer which he was led 
to an unoccupied tent and placed under the 
guard of two warriors. 

Saguanash saw all this from his hidinj^ 
place on the bluff that overlooked the vill- 
age. When it looked as if the fate of Shab- 
bona was sealed he mounted his pony and 
rode to Chicago to tell the story of what he 
had witnessed. During the night the Win- 
nebagoes held a council and it was decided 
that it was not safe to retain Shabbona as 
a prisoner so he was released and alleged 
to return to Fort Dearborn. This was against 
the wish of Big Foot. He released him but 
secretly set out on his trail with a few of his 
warriors determined to kill him if possible. 
Shabbona suspected something of the sort 
and urged his fleet pony forward and made 
his escape. Big Foot followed him for many 
miles but finally gave up the pursuit. This 
visit of Shabbona io the village of the 
Winnebagoes resulted in their remaining at 
home and Chicago was again safe. 

For several years preceding 1832, the 
Indians of northern Illinois had been com- 
paratively quiet as far as outward signs were 
concerned, but there was a spirit of discon- 
tent prevalent among the Sauks and Foxes. 
They could not get over feeling that the 
whites were aggressors and that slowly but 
surely they were losing their land and being 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 17 

driven into the West where they would have 
to encounter new enemies in new fields. 
This was not altogether to their liking. 

VVhile the Indians wandered about from 
place to place, they, for the most part, had 
a home other than their wigwams. They 
disliked to leave the place where they were 
born, especially if there was a good prospect 
of their never seeing it again Oftentimes 
there centered about such a locality a his- 
tory and a body of traditions that tended to 
make it well nigh sacred to them. To 1: e 
driven from the place where their dead, for 
generations had been buried, engendered a 
just hatred for the whites that has not been 
easily blotted from their memories. 

In Illinois, as elsewhere, the Indians and 
whites have not mixed. They are too un- 
like in their modes of livelihood and in dis- 
position to dwell in peace together. Where 
the whites settled the Indians gradually 
disappeared. For the most part they recog- 
nized the superiority of their aggressors. 
Occasionally we find a character like Shab- 
bona, who, in a measure, took on the ways 
of the whites and remained among them, 
to watch with interest, the changes that 
followed their coming. 



M THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

BLACK HAWK WAR 
AND SHABBONA'S WARNING 

In 1832 Black Hawk and the Prophet 
made a desperate effort to induce the Potta- 
wattamies and Ottawas to join with the 
Sauks and Foxes in a war against the 
whites. It was February of 1832 that a 
great council of the Sauxs, Foxes, Winne- 
bagoes and Pottawattamies was held at 
Indian Town. Many chiefs were present, 
among them Shabbona, who at this time was 
fifty-sev^en years of age. The council lasted 
for many days and nights. Eloquent appeals 
were made by Black Hawk to induce the 
other tribes to unite in a final attempt to 
drive the white m.an from the frontier. It 
was evident that if such an attempt were 
not made in a short time the whites would 
become so numerous that all hopes to drive 
them back would be fruitless All of the 
Pottawattamies, but one tribe, joined Shab- 
bona in opposing the union of the tribes and 
the council finally broke up without effect- 
ing a union. 

At this time Black Partridge and Snach- 
wine, the peace chiefs, were dead and Shab- 
bona stood next in power among the Pott- 
awattomie chiefs. Ever since Shabbona 
had seen his friend Tecumseh fall in battle 
at the Thames, he had been a missionary for 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 19 

peace among the Indians. He had become 
thoroughly convinced that it was useless for 
the Indian to take up arms against the 
whites. 

When Black Hawk saw that he could not 
get the tribes to join, he went back to his 
watch tower at the mouth of Rock River 
determined on war at any cost. He then 
went across the Mississippi into Iowa. Here 
he remained until April, 1832, when he 
again crossed into Illinois and moved up the 
Rock River valley with his warriors. He 
moved on until he came to a point about 
twenty-five miles above Dixon Ferry and 
from there he went east to a grove of timber 
which has since been known as Stillman's 
Run. 

At this point Black Hawk did not meet 
the warriors he had expected to meet, so he 
sent for Shabbona. He went as did others 
to meet in council with Black Hawk for the 
last time. It was here that the last war 
dance took place. Black Hawk tried hard to 
get Shabbona to join with him for he knew 
that if he secured Shabbona, practically the 
whole of the Pottawattamies would be in 
favor of the union and would take part in 
the war. Many of the Pottawattamies 
were doubtless waiting for a chance to kill 
off some of their white enemies. A war 
would furnish such a chance. Shabbona 



20 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

was convinced that Black Hawk was deter- 
mined upon war and could not be turned 
from his purpose. The Hawk said, "If we 
unite our forces we will have an army like 
the trees of the forest and will drive the 
palefaces before us like autumn leaves be- 
fore an angry wind." Shabbona replied, 
"The army of the palefaces will be like the 
leaves on the trees and will sweep you into 
the ocean beyond the settiiig sui." 

Then we have the story of how he stole 
away from the council in the night, with 
hiS son and nephew, to warn the whites of 
their imminent danger. In doing this he 
took his life in his hand, for, to fall across 
the path of Black Hawk meant death, for 
he had refused to join with him in war and 
had gone over to give assistance in every 
way to the enemy. 

This meant that Shabbona had lost 
caste with many of the Indian tribes. He 
could never again meet with them in coun- 
cil. He must be alert lest he be taken by 
his enemy, for he was looked upon as a 
traitor by the Hawk and his people. He 
must look for protection from the whites. 

It was a perilous undertaking to warn 
the settlers but in it lay their only safety. 
Shabbona's son and nephew warned the 
settlers along the Fox River and at Holder- 
man's Grove. The settlers were warned as 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 21 

far east as the DuPage River in DuPage 
County. The whites were urged to go to 
Ottawa and to Fort Dearborn as soon as 
possible so as to escape the fury of Black 
Hawk, which was sure to break upon them. 
This advice they followed. Shabbona warn- 
ed the settlers of Bureau County and those 
along Indian Creek. Some of the settlers 
went to Hennepin, some went to Peoria and 
others went to Springfield. Shabbona was 
in his saddle 48 hours. He rode his pony 
to death, took off the saddle, borrowed 
another pony of a settler and went on his 
mission. In his broken English he told the 
settlers to go. In some cases he rode back 
to warn them a second time and even beg- 
ged them to make haste to leave. Often- 
times in the past the settlers had been 
warned of impending Indian hostilities, to 
find, after fleeing to the nearest fort, that 
the alarm was without foundation. A num- 
ber were inclined to look upon Shabbona's 
warning as a false alarm. As a result many 
had barely time to escape Black Hawk and 
his warriors. At Indian Creek no attention 
was given to his warning. The Indians 
found the people of the settletnent at work 
in their fields and about their homes and in 
a short time thirteen were killed and two 
girls were taken prisoners. 

Shabbona had sent his people to the 



22 THE IMjIAi\ CHIEF SUAE BON A 

east into Indiana to get them away from 
the reach of Black Hawk. After the war 
they returned to the grove in DeKalb 
County. 

You are famihar with the story of Black 
Hawk after this, his attempt to escape to 
the north and his capture by the troops 
who were guided in their search by Shab- 
bona. With his capture and the removal of 
the Indians to reservations west of the 
Mississippi River the terror of Indian massa- 
cres in Illinois came to an end. There soon 
poured into this rich prairie state a host of 
pioneers to lay under subjection the resour- 
ces of the wilderness in the building of 
their homes. 

It must have been a picturesque gather- 
ing in 1835, as Pottawattamies to the num- 
ber of 5,000 assembled for the last time at 
Chicago. They had come decked with all 
their mos( showy ornaments, to draw their 
pay from the government. Pathetic indeed 
was it to see them in their last dance, dis- 
playing as they did, all the savagery of sav- 
ages. On that August day the people of 
Chicago saw the last of a race as it took its 
departure, worsted in the struggle for exist- 
ence, baffled at every point, and made to 
retire before the progress of the white man. 

To us the story of the red man in Illinois 
seems a long way in the past but there are 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 23 

men living today who witnessed his depart- 
ure. 

GOVT RESERVATION FOR SHABBONA 

We will now turn our attention to the 
reservation that Shabbona and his people 
owned for a time. In a treaty made at Prai- 
rie Du Chienin 1829, the Pottawattamie 
Indians ceded their land in northern Illinois 
to the United States. At this time two sec- 
tions were reserved as a home for Shabbona 
and his family. This tract of land included 
Section 23, and the west half of Section 25, 
and the east half of Section 26, in town 38, 
ran^e 3, east of the Third Principal Meridian 
at Paw Paw Grove. The tract of land in- 
cluded 1,280 acres of most excellent land 
in a very good locality. 

In October 1832 these lands were again 
reserved for Shabbona in a treaty which 
was made at Tippecanoe. In 1833 it was 
provided that Shabbona might sell his land 
if he felt so inclined, but for some reason in 
1834 this privilege was taken from him. 
This left Shabbona's land as a regular reser- 
vation to be used by him until the govern- 
ment saw fit to take it from him. At any 
rate this is the way the matter culminated 
finally. 

When the Indians were removed by 
the government to reservations west of the 



24_ THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

Mississippi River the Indians of Shabbona's 
tribe outside of his relatives were made to 
to go also. This was a hard blow for Shab- 
bona. He loved his grove and the graves of 
his dead. He loved his people and they 
loved him. When they went he went with 
them to see that they were well located. 

From 1835 until 1849 Shabbona did 
not make the grove his permanent home. 
He went to the west several times to visit 
his friends and in a few instances made 
extended visits, but he always returned to 
Illinois ane^ to his reservation. The peo- 
ple were for the most part glad to have him 
return and visit among them. His genial 
disposition and the memory of what he 
had done for them made the people reserve 
a warm affection for Shabbona. 

/ SALE OF THE OLD HOME 

'' ^ About 1845 Shabbona sold part of his 
^lafid'^to the Gates brothers. He was not 

'a^WHre'of the fact that the right to dispose 
^^ofliis ffesei'vation had been taken from him. 
•'Thfe (Sktek 'brothers soon sold the land that 
"lliey hafd^ Mfcquired to settlers who bought 
"sM^ll-pd't^hfe tirihcipally for the wood. 
'^Mfari^ of -tHfe^e '^^ttlers lived on the prairie 
^afAW^th-^''Woo^%^S6f'ri4tich value to them. 

It is said that during Shabbona's absence 

'fi^oib^'tlifei grove ^the' ' ^u'ri-oUilding settlers 

^riJ "to ja'jv/ aii.>i ; ■; / 1 jj-.n c}- i -> iw 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 25 

would cut the best timber that he had and 
haul it to their homes. 

In 1849 while Shabbona was away the 
commissioners of the general office decided 
that Shabbona had forfeited his right to his 
land by leaving it and that it should be sold. 

The men who purchased the land from 
the Gates brothers were now in trouble. 
All of Shabbona's reservation was to be sold 
at Dixon. The government would sell it for 
$1.25 an acre. It had been improved and 
was in some cases worth many times this 
amount. The people of Shabbona Grove 
selected two of their citizens, William Marks 
and Reuben Alien, to bid in the land. The 
others went along to see that these men had 
a chance to monopolize the bidding. There 
were 150 deterrnined men in the party 
ready to use force to carry their point if 
necessary. There were a few others there 
ready to bid in the land but they had no 
chance to do so and the men from Shab- 
bona Grove bought the land for $1.25 an 
acre. 

Now comes the sad part of our story. 
Shabbona bad been in the West on an ex- 
tended visit. He returned, expecting to re- 
ceive the remainder of the payments due 
from the Gates brothers and to receive the 
rent due him from his own land that had 
been rente . This happened in 1849. It 



^6 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

was night when he came to his grove, tired 
from his long journey. With him were his 
people numbering something less than 25. 
They camped where they had been wont to 
camp, gathered a few poles for their tents 
and a few faggots for a fire. Imagine their 
surprise in the morning when the man, or 
better brute, who owned the land ordered 
him with curses to leave. The man was 
brutal in his treatment of Shabbona and his 
people. One writer in speaking of his treat- 
ments says, "Here he had lived for many 
years, and here were buried his beautiful 
twin boys, whose graves had been torn by 
the ruthless plowshare of his betrayers. 
Painting his face black, he fell prone o'er the 
little graves, calling upon the great spirit for 
strength and patience to endure his great 
affliction; living for a season on bitterness 
fed, he ate not, slept not, but constantly beat 
his breast, weeping and wailing until he grew 
wan and weary, then his powerful intellect 
wavered, tottered and fell, and he wandered 
forth without object or aim and was found 
lying upon the ground away up on Rock 
Creek, in Kendall County, in a distracted and 
starving condition and was brought back to 
life and reason by some good Samaritan." 
This leaves Shabbona without a home. 
It is said that he never again went back to 
his grove. It is said that once a year the 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA £7 

squaws used to return and silently find 
their way to the place where their dead 
were buried and there a few days were 
spent in mourning, as it were for their de- 
parted. They had very little to do with the 
people who lived at the grove except to ask 
for a little water or food. When their season 
of mourning had passed they took their de- 
parture as sileiitly as they had come and 
went back to th -ir people. For seven years 
following his return to Illinois he spent his 
time visiting those of his tribe who had 
moved to the v/est end his friends in Illi- 
nois, it was during this time that the fig- 
ure of Shabbona riding his pony became a 
familiar sight in northern Illinois especially 
in and about Chicago and to the south as 
far as and even beyond the Illinois River. 
He was a good rider, and usually rode in his 
old age, for we must remember that Shab- 
bona was 75 years of age, when he was 
driven from his home in the grove. He did 
not care much for the roads of the whites 
but would take the trails that led across 
fields and through the timber if these were 
shorter. The settlers looked for him every 
Spring and in the Fall. If he did not pass 
they would feel that something had been 
missed. 



28 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

SHABBONA'S LAST YEARS 

Sometimes Shabbona traveled alone and 
again he traveled with a part, or all, of his 
family. His squaw always rode in a demo- 
crat wagon, sitting in the bottom of the box, 
filling it from side to side, for we must re- 
member that she weighed in the neighbor- 
hood of 400 pounds. She was so fat that it 
was with difficulty that she could get up 
aloneif she lay flat on her back. She would 
get into the wagon by mounting a chair and 
rolling over into the box. Her children or 
grandchildren usually went along and drove 
the ponies. Others followed on foot or rode 
their ponies. If Shabbona happened to 
reach the home of a white friend late at 
night he was always very careful lest he 
might disturb them. In the morning they 
would discover his presence by seeing his 
ponies grazing about, or by finding him roll- 
ed up in his blanket on the porch or in 
some other well protected place. Late in 
the fall of the year when the weather 
was cold Shabbona rolled up in his blanket 
and seemed unmindful of the weather as 
he slept. 

Sometimes he would stop for several 
days at a place, visiting his white friends. 
His nephews and boys on these occasions 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHAB BO\A 29 

played games with the children of the 
white people and all seemed to forget their 
race differences for the time. There was a 
healthy rivalry in their sports which made 
their coming, from time to time, an event 
in the minds of the younger people. These 
Indian children were well behaved as they 
had received the best of home training in 
manners from the hands of Shabbonr. 
Some of the frills of modern civilization had 
been omitted in this training but those 
principles which tend toward the develop- 
ment of strength of character had receive i 
attention. 

Shabbona knew his place and was 
always careful never to do anything to 
impose upon the manners and customs of 
the whites. When he came to a farmhouse 
he was careful to use his own cup in drink- 
ing instead of using the one that he found 
at the well. As has been stated it was with 
difficulty that he could be induced to stay 
over night in a house and it was equally as 
difficult a matter to get him to sit down to 
eat at the table with the whites. Occasion- 
ally this happened with his more intimate 
friends. His squaw, we are told, had to wait 
until she had been waited upon by Shab- 
bona, and orders had been given her by her 
lord to begin the process of eating. The 



30 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

Indians were very fond of the cooking of the 
whites. It was not an uncommon thing for 
Coconoke to gather up all that was left on 
the table in her apron and store it away to 
be eaten on their journey later. The bread 
was very appetizing to them. The Indains 
liked the way that the whites cooked meats 
Frequently they would take a deer that had 
been killed to the \^''hites to be co®ked. The 
whites were glad tt) do this to please them 
and to receive a portion of the venison, or 
whatever it might be, for their trouble. The 
Indians we^e' especially fond of the gravy 
that went with the meat as it was returned 
to them. 

As Shabboria traveled about among the 
whites he took a great interest in what they 
were doing. He liked to watch them to see 
how they did things and in this way he 
learned to do many things as the whites 
did them. At his home;, in the Grove he had 
fences around part of feis ground that was 
culivated to keep his ponies from destroying 
his crops. He had learned to culiviat© corn 
in very much the same way as the whites 
did at that time. He was always busy tink- 
ering around at something. He was not a 
lazy Indian. What he. did might have 
amoiiHted to more thaij it did but for an 
Indian he did very well. The whites respect- 



THE INDIAN CHEIF SHABBONA 31 

ed his industry. They liked to have him 
question them as to their ways of doing 
things and were glad, for the most part, to 
help him to acquire their ways. 

Shabbona was quite a hand at doctox^- 
ing. The whites often called upon him to 
help them with their sick. Snake bites and 
wounds that would not heal he knew how 
to cure. He went to the woods and on the 
prairie and there gathered his medicines. 
His own good health and the good health of 
his family was pretty good proof of his abil- 
ity along this line. 

People may wonder how Shabbona and 
his people managed to live after they were 
driven from their Grove. He was a good 
hunter and gain«d much in this way. In 
the Fall of the year he went to Chicago and 
his friends found out what he lacked in the 
way of clothing and food for the winter and 
among themselves supplied his wants. The 
people who knew him in many parts of Illi- 
nois gave him things as he visited them, 
but in spite of all this, Shabbona and his 
people were badly neglected by the whites, 
considering what he had done for them. 
After Shabbona's death those who remained 
for a number of years lived as paupers and 
beggars and at times their conditions were 
pitiable. 



32 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

We are told that Shabbona was quite 
anxious that one of his daughters should 
marry a white man and it is said that he 
offered to give a goodly sum of money to 
any good respectable white masa who would 
marry one of them. No one seemed to be 
inclined to take up his offer as the daughter 
he had in mind was built on the same plan 
that her mother was. 

Shabbona was quite a public character 
and on all great occasions he was made 
much of. He was always the center of 
attraction at the fairs. He and his family 
were sure to attend. He appreciated very 
much the honor that was conferred upon 
him on such occasions. On the Fourth of 
July, 1857, there was a great celebration 
at Ottawa and Shabbona, his squaw, grand- 
children, and children were there. They 
led the procession. In the evening there 
was given a great ball which Shabbona and 
his people attended. At this ball the belles 
of the town came out in their finest. There 
was a desire to know who of them excelled 
in beauty and grace. Shabbona was made 
judge and in the most critical manner ex- 
amined each lady in the contest who passed 
before him for inspection. He was called 
upon to give his decision. Here he showed 
his sense of humor, his insight into human 
nature, and his appreciation of his wife. 



THt: INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA JJ 

Turning to Coconoke, his squaw, he brought 
his hand down upon her well-rounded shoul- 
der and said, "Much, heap, big, prettiest 
squaw." 

During the political carnpain of 1858 
Shabbona was present on the platform with 
Lincoln, Douglas and Lovejoy at the famous 
debate between Lincoln and Douglas at 
Ottawa. At this time he was 83 years of age. 

Shabbona traveled much. On one oc- 
casion he went to Washington and while 
there met Col. Johnson and the two talked 
over the battle of the Thames and the death 
of Tecumseh. When they parted Johnson 
gave Shabbona a gold ring th:;t he wore 
during the remainder of his life. 

On one occasion Shabbona, with a white 
man whose complexion v/as almost as dark 
as that of an Indian, was introduced to Gen- 
er .1 Scott. General Scott took the white 
man to be Shabbona and in his pompous 
manner began to tell him how much he ap- 
preciated what he had done for the whitf s 
in Illinois during the Blaek Hawk war. 
Shabbona stood it as long as he could and 
then pointing to himself said to General 
Scott, " Me Shabbona. " 

The Indian in Shabbona displayed itself 
on one occasion at Morris, Illinois. At this 
point there was a toll bridge across the 
river. One of the citizens of Morris had 



34 THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 

taken it upon himself to pay toll for Shab- 
bona and his people whenever they wanted 
to cross the bridge. The toll keeper kept 
account of the times Shabbona crossed and 
interfered with his crossing in no way. On 
one occasion there was a new toll keeper 
who did not know of this arrangement. 
Shabbona appeared with his tribe and want- 
ed to go over. The toll keeper would not let 
him cross without paying. Sha bbona turned 
about and went to the man who was look- 
ing after his toll secured a note from him, 
returned and was allowed to pass. He cross- 
ed to the end of the bridge, turned about, 
gave a whoop, and crossed and recrossed the 
bridge several times to show the toll keeper 
what he could do. 

Aftt r Sh:^b^ona was driven froni his 
Grove he had no home until 1857, when 
people who were interested in him raised a 
sum of money and purchased a home for him 
of 20 acres in Section 20, town 33, range 6, in 
the town of Norman, Grundy County, Illinois. 
Here they built a house for him and tried to 
provide for him. He lived here until his 
death July 27, 1 859. He hved to be eighty- 
four years of age. He was hurried in a lot 
in Evergreen cemetery near Morris, Illinois. 
This lot was donated by the cemetery asso- 
ciation. His wife lies hurried in the same lot. 
She died November 30, 1864. Her death 



RD 14.8 n 



THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA 35_ 

was pathetic. While crossing Mazon Creek 
in her democrat wagon with a little grand- 
child in her arms the wagon was upset and 
she was drowned, although the water was 
but a few inches deep. The child was found 
beneath her. It was also dead. There are 
also buried in the lot his favoite daughter 
Mary, and his grand-daughters, Mary Okon- 
to, and Met-wetch, and his nieces, Chicksaw 
and Soco. All of Shabbona's people who re- 
mained, moved out west, after the death of 
Coconoke. 

On Friday October 23, 1903, about fifty 
people gathered in Evergreen cemetery to 
witness the dedication of a monument to 
Shabbona. This consists of a huge boulder 
bearing the simple inscription, "Shabbona, 
1775-1859" - a fitting mark for the resting 
place of one of Illinois' noble men. Shabbo- 
na wanted nothing to mark his grave for he 
said that the life he lived should be his only 
monument. It was laregly through the 
instrumentality of P. A. Stone of Morris, 
Illinois, and a body of workers that this 
monument was erected. 



REFERENCES 

Memories of Shaubena, N. Matson 
History ot De Kalb County, H. I. Boise 
History of De Kalb County, Album, 

Chapman Brothers 
The Saux and Black Hawk War, 

Perry A. Armstrong 
The Northwest and Chicago, 

Rufus Blanchard 
History of De Kalb County, 

Clinton Rosette 
History of La Salle County, Baldwin 
Historic Waterways, Thwaties 

The Prairie Schooner, 

Wm E. Barton 
Stories of Illinois, Mara L. Pratt 

History of Illinois, 

Davidson and Stuve 
The Black Hawk War, 

Frank E. Stevens 
Many Early Settlers. 



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